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GARDAÍ in Limerick are closely monitoring a major regrouping of the leadership of the notorious McCarthy Dundon gang.

Some of the gang’s main figures have returned to their Ballinacurra Weston stronghold after being recently released from jails in England and Ireland.

Wayne Dundon returned to the city for the birth of his son at the Regional Maternity Hospital two weeks ago.

His cousin, Larry McCarthy, returned from England in recent weeks after serving over five years in prison for a fire arms offence.

And Wayne Dundon’s brother John rejoined his family on his release from Cloverhill prison on Sunday after serving two years for a motoring offence.

He was picked up at the prison gates by a sister who recently celebrated her 21st birthday.

His sister had been at the centre of an incident at the front door of the Pike Inn, seven years ago when barman Ryan Lee refused her admission as she was underage.

Wayne Dundon confronted Ryan Lee and some time later a gunman, wearing a motorbike helmet walked through the crowded bar, singled out Mr Lee and shot him.

Nobody was ever charged with that shooting.

Wayne Dundon was jailed for seven and a half years for the threat he issued to Mr Lee before the shooting incident.

Roy Collins, a cousin of Ryan Lee’s was shot dead in retaliation for the circuit court evidence given by Mr Lee which led to the jailing of Wayne Dundon.

Wayne Dundon spent most of last summer moving around different locations in England and Wales.

He returned briefly to celebrate the First Communion of his daughter which attracted huge publicity after she was driven through the city in a Cinderella-like horse drawn car.

Four McCarthy Dundon associates were jailed for a total of more than 31 years at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin on March 17, for offences which included violent disorder, and demanding money with menaces.

Christopher McCarthy, aged 28; Garreth Collins Keogh, aged 28; and his father Jimmy Collins, aged 48, were each jailed for seven and a half years.

They were sentenced by the non-jury court for their part in trying to extract €80,000 from night club promoter, Mark Heffernan Jr, who is now under 24-hour protection by the gardaí.

The fourth accused, Patrick Pickford, aged 31, was jailed for two years for a lower level involvement in the affair.